Control for the unreeling of coiled material from drums



April 25, 1939. I H. c. PORTER 2,155,771

CONTROL FOR THE UNREELING OF GOILED MATERIAL FROM DRUMS Original Filed Aug. 4, 1936 2 Sheets+Sheet -l Jim/e203??? J/ozdwn] 6'. poz'fez" April 25, 1939.

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Patented Apr. 25, 1939 "UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims. (01'. tot- 53) My'inv'ention relatesto controls for the unreeling of coiled material from drums.

It is particularly suitable for and will be explained in connection-with the unre'eling of metallic package-binder strap from a revoluble coilsupportm drum.

One of the objects of my invention is' to rovide an improved control-spring for preventing looseriess and over'feed of coils of material, such as package-binder strap.

Another object is to provide a controlspring that is effective and easfly applied.

Another object is to provide a control-spring which'permits easy re-co'iling" in the event more" material tlian needed has been withdrawn from the coil. l 7

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear. 7

An embodiment of the invention, particul' 1y adapted for metallic flat package-binder, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my control spring applied to the revoluble drum of the portable strap-reel;

V g. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the drum of the reel, showing the" normal location of the control-spring;

Fig; 3 is a.- top view of the drum with the control-spring in place; I

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the two control-spring sections, showing them disconnected or unjoi'rited and slightly separated, but Otherwise rather clearlyshowing their relative position when in use;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged top plan, partly in section, of the detachable comiection between the spring-sections, which connection serves asa guide through which the strap is fed from the coil, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of the section-connector guide.

This application is a division of my coperiding application Serial No. 94,199 filed August 4, 1936.

In general, my control comprises a two-sec tioned spring for frictionallyf'and resiliently s'u'rrounding and bearing upon the curved periphery of the coil of material, the complementary s'e'c-v tions being detachably joined by a separable connector through which the niaterial' is fed inter mediate the ends of the composite spring.

In 1 I have shown the control springapplied to .a'; coil of metallic strap-such used for package bindingcarried upon the rotatably supported drum of a portable reel. The drum ineludes a generally cylindrical barrel l upon which thes'trap" coil is supported and a. pair of coil-retaining heads I].

The spring comprises in general two complementary and separable sections and I6 made from spring steel-preferably fiat bent into helical or generally circular form and of a length normally almost to form a complete circle having a; diameter slightly less than that of the barrd of the drum with which it is to be used. If the spring is to be used with a drum having coilre'taining' heads',the width of its sections should be slightly" less than the distance between the heads.

The proximate ends of spring sections l5 and f6 are equipped with cooperating coupling membersl1 and I8, respectively, whereby the two spring's'ctions" may be readily coupled together end to end with a relatively small gap therebetween and, when occasion'requires, easily sepafaL-ted. coupling member ll comprises a stirrup l9, one end of which is rigidly attached to the eiid of s'priiiglsection IS in a suitable manner, such as bywelding". The other end of stirrup l9 bent on jardly at 2|] and then rearwardly or rev rsely at 2| to accommodate the flange or hook 22' of a substantially U-shaped latch bolt 23.

A spacer strip 24, somewhat" shorter than the length of the flange-hook, is located between hook 22 and the stirrup [9 so that when these two members are secured together by rivets 25 or other appropriate means, there is provided a laterally opening rectangular slot or bolt-socket 26; Coupling member l8 likewise comprises a stirrup 21 having one end attached to the end of spring section [6 and the other end bent outweirdly and re'arw'ardly to accommodate a hookshaped flange 28' of a latch bolt 29, which flange is" riveted to stirrup 2 1 with a spacer strip 30 therebetween to term a rectangular slot or bolts'ocket 3l' which opens laterally in the opposite direction from the socket 26.

With this arrangement the two control spring sections may; by relative lateral movement, be separated, as shown'in Fig 4', more readily to enable" the ring to be removed from and applied to the drum; but they may be coupled together by interlocking the coupling members sidewise, the end 32' of latch bolt 23 entering the boltsocket 31' and the end 330i latch bolt 29 entering bolt-socket 2B. When the two coupling memhere are thus joined, the spring sections are -rotating to allow the strap to unwind.

of a coil 36 of coiled material (e. g., coiled package-binder strap) may be threaded, as shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 6.. With the two coupling members united and the control ring in position about the coil of strap, the coupling members lie below the rims of the drum heads and are prevented from accidental separation thereby.

and 29 fitting the rectangular sockets 3| and 26, causes the guideway to form a rigid end to end coupling between the control ring sections, giving the control ring the effect of a single spring substantially surrounding and resiliently and frictionally bearing upon the external curved surface of the coil of strap. v

Thus, the strap is fed from the coil in the drum through a gap or guide in the midregidn of the control spring, the two sectionsof which,

encywhen the strap is pulled to withdraw it.

from the coilto raise the control spring out from between the heads of the drum-an objectionable tendency when the strap is fed out from under one end of an encircling control spring. And the easily manipulated latch coupling between the two sections which permits the sections to be readily separated and reunited facilitates the placement of the control spring between the drum heads and about a coil of strap supported upon the barrel thereof. The

effect of gradual curves provided by the out-- wardly sloping portions of the stirrups l9 and 2! permits the somewhat stiff strap to leave the coil and be led out through the control ring guideway without sharp bends therein.

As strap is needed it is drawn from the drum by a pull on its free'endthe drum andcoil The friction of the control spring urges it to rotate with the coil and drum, but it cannot pass the strap threaded through its central guideway; it is forced to remain relatively stationary as long as the unwound portion of strap is held tautby the operator. Thus, the coil and drum rotate inside of and relative to-the control spring with a friction which, although usually relatively light, may be varied by changing theoverlap of the sections of the control spring.

For the lighter braking effects the control spring sections are assembled as shown in Fig. 2, with the inner or free end 40 of section IS inside of the other section (1. e., directly against the peripheral surface of the coil) so that the pull on the strap end and the rotation of the coil (as shown by the arrow) is against the inner tip of one of the control spring section's (i. e., the tip 40 of coil spring section Hi. This action causes that section to tend to unwind or loosen its grip upon the surface of the coil,- thereby tending to decrease the friction and the resilient pressure upon the coil. 7

For the heavier braking effect the control spring sections are assembled reversely (e. g.,

Furthermore, the-cooperative action of the rectangular-hook-shaped latch bolts 23' with the inner or free end 4| of section l5 bearing directly against the peripheral surface of the coil) so that the friction of the rotation tends to wind the inner of the two spring sections more tightly about and upon the surface of the coil. Such action tends to increase the frictional and resilient pressure upon the coil. This braking effect provides two variations of what ordinarily should be a relatively light back-tension. This is a desirable factor to assist in insuring that-material (e. g., metallic binder straps) of different characteristics can be drawn reasonably straight and taut from a supply coil thereof.

I As soon as movement of the free end of the strap ceases, the momentum of the coil and drum is eifectively braked by that same action. The strapis held clamped tightly and flatwise into the coil under the action of the control spring .at all times; no loose or slack laps or convolutions being free to pull away from the coil or to get out of-thechannel between the flanges of the reel-drum or, if the material is fiat strap;

to turn up on edge and cause tangles.

The tendency of a relatively heavy coil and drum to rotate and overrun and thereby conetinue to deliver strap after the operator has ceased to pull is also reduced by the grip of the control 1 spring preventing any substantial increase in' the diameter of any lap or convolution in the coil and resulting looseness from such overrunning." This action of the spring forces the momentum to' be rapidly overcome by the friction of loosening and slipping many laps or convolutions of strap, each of small amount, because the only possible escape for additional length of material by overrun is that slight in-' crease in diameter allowed by the inward pressure of the spring.

On long pulls, when considerable lengths of strap are taken very rapidly from a drum, it is often desirable, when the required footage has been drawn oil, to slack back on the free end which removes the impedance of the taut strap against rotation of the control spring with the drum. The spring then clamps and rotates with the coil and drum, winding the slack reversely outside of the control spring until a slight pull on the free end has stopped the overrun (usually in less than one revolution of the drum) whence that small amount of wound-back strap can be drawn quickly and freely at slow speed.

. In the event more strap than required is drawn venient handles for lifting the coupling above the rims of the drum flanges so that it may be disconnected for easy springremoval. As handles they also facilitate the interlocking of the coupling-sections when a spring is being positioned about a coil and they provide a convenient grip for holding the control ring in the event strap is. to be rewound upon the coil.

Having thus illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is as follows:

, 1. A spring for controlling the unreeling of coiled material comprising a pair of spring sections, each consisting of a length of spring steel curved to fit about and press upon the external surface of the coiled material; and a coupling member secured to an end of each spring section, each coupling member having a hook spaced outwardly from the end of its associated spring section and a socket, the socket of one coupling member detachably receiving the hook of the other coupling member, said coupling members when united joining the two spring sections into a unitary spring ring and providing a guideway between the spaced proximate ends of the spring sections through which material may be fed from the coil.

2. A spring for controlling the unreeling of coiled material comprising a pair of spring sections, each consisting of a curved piece of spring steel of a length such that when the two pieces are placed end to end with a gap therebetween they at least partly encircle and bear upon the external surface of the coiled material; and a separable connector for rigidly joining the two spring sections end to end with a gap therebetween whereby the composite spring frictionally and resiliently bears upon the external surface of the coiled material and the free end of the material may be fed from the coil through the gap between the sections.

3. A spring for controlling the unreeling of coiled material comprising two sections of fiat spring steel bent into a partial circle and having a length such that when the two sections are placed end to end with a gap therebetween they overlap each other and encircle and press upon the external surface of the coiled material; and a pair of coupling members, each at tached to an end. of one of the spring sections and each having a bolt portion spaced from the adjacent end of its associated spring section, and a bolt-socket," the bolt of one coupling member detachably fitting into the bolt-socket of the other coupling member detachably to join the spring sections together end to end with a gap therebetween, the spring sections when joined serving as a ring which frictionally and resiliently bears upon the coiled material and through the gap of which the free end of the material may be fed from the coil.

4. A spring for controlling the unreeling of coiled material comprising a pair of spring sections arranged end to end and curved into generally circular shape to fit about and bear upon the periphery of the coiled material, and a separable connector for joining together the proximate ends of the two sections, there being an opening through the composite spring intermediate its remote ends for the feeding therethrough of the ends of the coiled material.

5. A spring for controlling the unreeling of coiled material comprising a pair of wholly separate spring sections, each consisting of a length of spring steel suificient to overlap the other in use and curved to fit about and bear upon the curved periphery of the coil of material; and a separable connector for detachably joining the spring sections at one end in spaced relation and permitting the coiled material to be led from the coil through the gap between the spring sections.

6. A spring for controlling the unreeling of coiled material comprising a pair of wholly separate elastic sections arranged end to end and partly in overlapping relation, and curved into generally circular shape to fit about and press upon the curved periphery of the coiled material, and a coupling for connecting together the proximate ends of the elastic sections with a gap therebetween through which the end of the 

